Gothem's Other Knight
by Star the Foxhound
Summary: We all know that Batman is the dark knight and Harvey Dent is called the white knight but isn't there another hero out there, another with a face. A Jim Gordon Fanfic
1. Faking Death

**_SPOILERS: DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED THE DARK KNIGHT_**

**_Gothem's Other Knight_**

**_We all know that Batman is the black knight and the Dent was known as the white knight. Both of them were called heros at least once in the film. But we are forgetting someone else, someone who stopped a bullet meant for someone else._**

**_Disclaimer- I own nothing, even if I wish I did_**

I have lived in Gothem my whole life, watching it grow then sink back down again. Before Batman found me I was not sure where the city I loved was going. Would it keep on falling until it died completely? Lately the city has been enduring hard times because of a mad criminal that we all call The Joker. Most of the people in Gothem don't take him for what he is, a dangerous opponent who doesn't care for human life. They think he is just a clown when he really is a coldblooded murderer.

Many people have died at the hands of The Joker, whether from his knife or by other means it does not really matter. The dead are still dead no matter how they died. Now the police force, including myself are on the streets of Gothem, mourning the death of Commissioner Loeb.

As everyone moves forward, I keep my eyes peeled for the joker. Again and again I ignore the hot sun on my back and the sweat soaking my clothes. Then my eyes come to rest on the scarred face, decorated with the white makeup he always wears. He turned with the rest of the officers then at the last minute he whirls around, his fingers inches from the trigger of a gun. My heart starts beating faster and faster as my eyes travel along the path a bullet would take and realizing that it lead directly into the mayors heart.

A loud bang fills the air and I leap in front of the mayor. I feel my back explode in pain, knocking me to the ground. My vision is blurred whether from the pain or because my glasses have fallen off, I don't really know. Slowly I feel the blood spreading under my clothes. I close my eyes and just lay there as the seconds tick past, trying to take my mind away from this place and to a happier hour.

As I try to breath I feel a hand on my wrist searching for any sign of life.

"Jim," I hear, "Jim please tell me you are alright."

I tried to talk but nothing seemed to want to come out. Trying again I manage to splutter through the pain. "Family not safe," I gasped, "They must think that I'm dead."

The person bends nearer to me. "It's alright Jim," he tells me, "Everythings is going to be alright."

I then recognize the voice as my friend Stevens and feel two hands move under me lifting me into the air. I open my eyes and try to focus. Blurry shadows swim across my vision making me dizzy so I quickly close my eyes again. I feel like I can  
drop into the world of dreams and sleep away a month just anywhere. Finally I drop into that other world, a world  
where I feel no pain.

I wake up to voices talking over me. "What happened to him?" A woman's voice asks in a harsh whisper. "You can't just bring someone half dead into the house without telling me what happened!"

"He was shot," Stevens voice told her, "That's all you need to know."

"Who shot him?" the woman asks.

"The Joker"

I hear the woman gasp. "Could the same thing happen to you?"

I open my eyes and get a good look at the wispy blond hair of Stevens wife, Rose. "It was just me." I say noticing that my voice was barely a whisper, "I decided to play hero and took a bullet meant for the mayor."

I try to sit up but my back feels like it is on fire and I feel the blood drain from my face. "Jim!" Stevens shouts.

Footsteps pound across the floor and my friend's head is inches from my own as he places his hand under my shoulders gently lowering me back down.

"You have to get him to the hospital," Rose shouts

Stevens pats me hand. "You're safe now Jim. Don't worry, we are going to get you to a hospital and let you get some rest. No one knows you are alive, not even your family."

Not even my family knows! I wonder what I would think if someone I loved, like Barbara, was dead and then one day just reappeared. What am I putting my family through? What am I going to have tooo make this up to them?

I feel a hand on my shoulder and I hear Stevens voice. "I can't believe what you are doing Jim." he says.

I open my eyes and look into Stevens face. "Neither can I." I said quietly,"Barbara is going to kill me."  
****

**_So what do you all think?? Please review, I want to know if anyone has any ideas for how I can make the story better. So what are you waiting for, click the go button and share your thoughts with me! :)_**

**_Thank you writteninchocolate for your brillent betaing._**


	2. Alone in the Hospital

**_SPOILERS: DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED THE DARK KNIGHT_**

**_Gothem's Other Knight_**

**_We all know that Batman is the black knight and the Dent was known as the white knight. Both of them were called heros at least once in the film. But we are forgetting someone else, someone who stopped a bullet meant for someone else._**

**_Disclaimer- I own nothing, even if I wish I did_**

The pillow is cold and soft against my cheeks and the back of my head as I lie on my back staring up at the starch white ceiling of Gothem Hospital. I have been here for two very long days but already it seems like months, months of nurses bustling around me, changing the bandages around my middle, changing the sheets on my bed and bringing me food. Basically, there is nothing going on and no one has visited me, because, of course, everyone other then Stevens believes that I am dead.

If I close my eyes I picture myself in bed with Barbara by my side and the kids climbing over me, laughing as they try to fit in the already full bed. But every time I picture myself back home I feel guilty, guilty because my wife is mourning for me like I am dead. Part of me feels that at least she is safe with the children but the other part of me wants to go to her, pull her into my arms and tell her that it was all a mistake. I'm not dead; I'm still here, still breathing.

But I can't tell Barbara that I am alive, I have to stay here in this lifeless hospital and fill in the hours of day with pointless daydreams. Looking out the window I can see a bird taking flight and soaring into a beautiful cloudless sky. I turn away from the window. Every time I see the blue sky I want to be out on the streets, where there would be a least something interesting to look at. I glance at the clock on the little white table beside my bed. It's only 10:30. That means I had better prepare myself for another really long day.

I hear the door click open and a nurse bustles into the room carrying a tray with dry cereal, a couple pieces of toast and a small glass of juice. I wish I  
could smell the aroma of the eggs and fresh pancakes that Barbara loves to make for me before I head out of the house to begin a long day at the police department. I'm really not hungry for a little dry cereal and some toast, All I want to do is go back home to my family.

"Thank you," I said in bored tone pulling myself up into a sitting position. I take a few quick bites of the dry slightly buttered toast.

"When can I go home?" I ask the nurse who is just about to leave the room. The nurse comes over to me when I speak to her and leans forward so that she is only a few feet from my face.

"Mr. Lunberry," the nurse said, a huge smile on her face, making me hate the way she has been treating me as if I am a child for the last few days. I also make a point to talk to Stevens about the dumb fake name he gave me.

The nurse is still talking and grinning at me like I'm some kid off the streets or something. "You are healing very well considering you took a direct bullet to you back. I have taken you off all pain medications but the doctors still want to keep you here for another day to make sure you are really alright."

Not until tomorrow. I groan, thinking of another long day staring at blank walls. I hear the door open and close as the nurse leaves me. I'm alone again, not that I really like the company of my nurse but it's better then having no one at all to talk to. I tap my fingers on the bedside which happens to be white, like everything else in this horrible place, and count the seconds off in my head. I reach about 300 when the door opens again. "What is it?" I say in a  
very bored voice.

"Jim!" Stevens says as he enters the room, "I have to talk to you. Suddenly I am no longer bored, at last I have some real company.

I turn my head and smile at Stevens, happy that I will finally have someone to talk to. I hear the floor boards creak slightly as my friend walks across the  
floor to my bed. He pulls a chair over to the side of the bed and sits down.

"Jim," Stevens says lowering his voice, "Jim I know you work with Batman."

I protest but part of me is thinking, how? How could he find out? Stevens shakes his head. "It's no good, Jim. I know that you have been friends with him for some time now. Why else would that spotlight have a bat on it? But don't worry I'm not going to tell anyone about your friendship with the Dark Knight. I just wanted to tell you that Batman has turned himself in."

My heart skips a beat. Turned himself in? "Wha, What?" I say, staring at my friend in what could either be amazement or shock.

"Batman is Harvey Dent." Stevens tells me.

I stare at him even more, my head spinning. Batman can't be Harvey Dent! I'veseen Harvey Dent standing NEXT to the Batman so there is no way they can be the same person. So then what was Harvey doing? I had to find out! "I'm getting out of here," I say, "This second."

"Jim," I hear Stevens push his chair away as he stands up, surpised as I throw off the sheets and climb out of the bed, "You can't just get up and leave!"

"Yes I can!" I say calmly, "My duty is to Gothem, and Gothem needs Harvey Dent!"

Stevens stands in front of the doorway. "But you have to take care of yourself too, Gordon. What if Gothem needs you too?"

I lower my voice. "Stevens," I say, "Dent is Gothem's white knight and one of the few hopes the city has left. He is not batman, I have seen batman and Harvey Dent standing side by side. They are two separate people, and I have to find out why Harvey is doing this."

"Jim you are a hero too even if you don't think you are." Stevens says stepping forward and placing a hand on my shoulder, "And Gothem needs you to rest, to recover so that you can be there for them."

"I don't need to rest," I say to my friend stepping backward so that he is no longer touching me. "If I am a hero like you say let me act like one."

"Are you sure?" I hear the uncertainty in my friend's voice. He is worried for me, worried that I am going back onto the streets of Gothem to fight against the Joker and to go back on the side of Batman.

"I'm sure," I say, "It is something I must do."

Stevens hands me my clothes which were on a table near the doorway and I give him a grateful look as he leaves the room. I have to find the Batman and  
I have to find Harvey. After all they are Gothem's Knights.


	3. The Chase

**_SPOILERS: DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED THE DARK KNIGHT_**

**_Gothem's Other Knight_**

**_We all know that Batman is the black knight and the Dent was known as the white knight. Both of them were called heros at least once in the film. But we are forgetting someone else, someone who stopped a bullet meant for someone else._**

**_Author's Note: I want to thank everyone who has reviewed so far in this story. Your reviews make me want to keep writing and keep working on this story. Thanks especially to phoebe2, who's review was very well thought out and who made me feel very good about this story. Also I am looking for a new beta, I did this chapter without one because I wanted to get this up. If any of you are interested please PM or tell me so in a review._**

**_Disclaimer- I own nothing, even if I wish I did_**

It is strange to be walking through the police station without anyone greeting me by name or asking questions about an assignment. It is even stranger to think that all of the people I am walking by think I am dead and have no idea how alive I really am. Because I am alive and the feeling inside of me is one of determination. It is my duty to save Harvey Dent, the white knight of Gothem city, the one who can bring it from its ruins. Of course we have Batman too, the dark knight but he is different. Batman is saving the city by fighting criminals at night while Harvey fights it wherever he goes and he is one of the few people who give the citizens any hope.

Taking a deep breath I see Stevens in the mist of the crowds and I head in his direction. He sees me and pulls me into a corner. Speaking under his breath he says, "They are moving Dent in a few minutes and I can get you involved in it, no problem. You ready?"

I give my friend a nod feeling the nervous excitement feel me up and give me the strength to be ready for anything. "I don't think that this is going to be easy," I say under my breath, "Something is bound to happen."

Stevens puts a hand on my shoulder. "Whatever happens Jim please be careful."

I am surprised by his words because I am expecting him to come with us while we are moving Harvey. I step back a little. "You aren't going to come with us?"

My friend shakes his head and smiles at me. "I'm going to stay here Jim and keep an eye out for trouble while you are out there playing hero."

Stevens starts walking and I fall into step beside him but don't say anything. We walk out to the van were they have put Harvey Dent in silence. Really there is nothing else to say that we have not said already. He has wished me luck and told me that I have to be careful and I will be for him and for my family because after this I want to just go home and hold Barbara in my arms again. She will be surprised to see me when I come back, no doubt the cops have all explained to her that I died saving the mayor life's. But at least for now I can rest knowing that she is safe and that the children are safe. If I'm dead there is no reason for the Joker to go after them or try and harm them which means of course that I can do my job in peace.

There are officers already gathered around the van. I know most of them by name and the others I can remember if I think about it hard enough but I don't say anything to them. They don't know who I am, probably think I'm just some new guy that's coming along for the fun.

Climbing into the front of the van I take the driver's seat, staring out the front window as Harvey Dent is loaded into the back and another officer climbs into the passenger seat beside me. "I hope you got some moves," he says as he fastens the seat belt.

I don't answer him because I am not sure if any of the officers will recognize my voice. Instead I just start up the van and begin to drive while keeping a lookout for the joker the whole time.

The streets are quiet as we drive along in a large line but I have a feeling that they will not be quiet for long. I keep scanning the streets in front of me, searching the shadows for any sign of trouble because I don't want to be caught unprepared. The joker wants the batman and so if he thinks that Harvey Dent is in fact the one and only batman then he is going to try and come after us. My only hope is that the real batman will arrive when that happens and save the day like he has done so many times before.

Ahead of me I see something burning and a closer look tells me that it is a fire truck. Beside me the other officer says into the radio, "Obstruction ahead, obstruction ahead. All units report down on the lower 5th, I repeat all units diverse on the lower 5th."

I drive pass the fire truck and under bridge, which is when the truck appears almost out of no where. The driver serves towards us but I turn the wheel sharply. However the truck still slams against us and I feel the vehicle shake from the force. "Get us out of here, let's go," my partner says.

Yet again I don't respond, just concentrate on the road and trying to stay out of the way of the large truck which was right on our tail. Again it hits us, this time from behind, pushing us forward a little bit. "We need backup, we got company."

I wonder if the joker is in the truck but I don't pause to think about much, it is hard enough to be driving when it seems that someone is trying to knock you off the road. Behind me I here the other van being hit but still I don't look behind me. If they were knocked off the road then they were gone, there is no time to go back for them, all of our lives are at stack.

Looking at the truck with is now beside us I see the door slide open and there is the joker standing there with a gun. The bullets start to hit the van hard but I keep driving knowing that the walls are thick and that it is very unlikely that the joker will be able to get a hole in the side. The only thing to do is just to keep going.

In front of us a police car is blown up. "I didn't sign up for this," my partner shouted right before yet another police car was blown away.

All of a sudden I felt a flicker of hope fill me up because speeding down the road towards us was the batmobile, batman was here. I keep driving, avoiding batman at the last minute as the cop beside yell, "Look out!"

I keep driving, away from the batmodile but I know now that our hero is here and that all hopes are not lost, batman is going to save the day.

"We need air support, now!" I drive out from the bridge, back onto the open streets of Gothem. I don't hear the batmodile behind us anymore but I just keep going, there's no time to stop and think. If we delay things can get ugly very easily.

Above us the helicoteris flying then all of a sudden it starts to fall. "That's not good," the cop says and I silently agree withhim. With the helicoter gone we are all alone, just us, batman and the joker. I drive almost stright throught the destroyed machine, realizing that none of the cops in there would have made it out alive.

Batman is on the scene now, I watch him flip over the joker's truck and I see the joker climbing out. I stop the van and grab the gun, opening the door so that I can try and see what is happening ignoring the other man's shout that we can't stop here. He may not have noticed but the batman is on the street driving at full speed in the direction of the joker who is just standing in the middle of the road saying something that I can't quite make out. I walk a few steps closer trying to stay in the shadows so that the joker won't notice me.

"Hit me," the joker shouts, "I want you to do it."

But batman is not a killer and he can not even kill someone as evil and sick as the Joker. He serves at the last moment and the batpod skids on the pavement until it tips over and the dark knight falls onto the road and doesn't get up. I watch the Joker move towards him as one of his croonys gets knocked off by a shock or something in batman's outfit. The Joker leans over batman and I realize that he is planning on doing something. I know that I have to stop him. Stepping forward I place the barrel of my gun against the back of the Joker's neck. He turns to look at me and says "Come on will you just give me a minute."

He pushes me away but I pull off my helmet and point the gun at him again. "We got you, you son of bitch."

I leave the other officers to take care of him as I go to let Harvey out of the van. He looks very surprised to see me. "Gordon..." he said before reaching out to shake my hand, "Lt., you do like to play things very close to the chest."

I smile and take the hand. "We got him Harvey."

We look at each other, each feeling respect for the other. Harvey is safe to go now and I watch as he is put in the police car and driven away. He will go home now, maybe see Rachel and I will take care of the Joker. I felt at peace knowing that after the madman was safe behind bars and that I could go back to my family.


	4. Commissioner Gordon

**_SPOILERS: DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED THE DARK KNIGHT_**

**_Gothem's Other Knight_**

**_We all know that Batman is the dark knight and that Harvey Dent was known as the white knight. Both of them were called heros at least once in the film. But we are forgetting someone else, someone who stopped a bullet meant for someone else._**

**_Author's Note: This chapter is just a little shorter. I'm just trying to get in as much as I can because after this I'm going to be gone for about three weeks. Thank you again Phoebe2 for your wonderful review. Hearing from you just makes me so happy because you always have such nice things to say. Please review again. :D_**

**_Disclaimer- I own nothing, even if I wish I did_**

I am not home yet, I'm at the police station with detective Stephens at my side. I glance up at him and can easily see the joy and relief on his face that I am back safely and that at last the joker is caught. He holds out a hand to me and I take it, smiling myself. "It is quite a relief to have that madman off the streets," he says.

"Yes it is," I reply, "If only we had captured him before now we could have saved more lives."

Sighing I walk towards the room where the joker is being held, it is not good trying to think about what could have happened. We must all live in the present, not the past.

As I enter the room I shout at the other officers who are gathered around the jokers cell. "Stand away all of you, I don't want anything for his mob lawyers to use. Do you understand?"

The mayor comes up to me and shakes my hand. "Back from the dead?"

"I couldn't risk my family's safety," I explain wondering if anyone would really understand just how much I wanted to protect them. Since I am one of batman's closest allies of course I knw that I could be a likely target, but the most important thing to me is to keep my children and Barbara safe. I know that I am causing them pain, after all they still believe that I am dead at this minute, gone. But I know that as soon as I get the joker away safely that I can go home to them. What a relief that will be.

Beside me the mayor speaks again. "What have we got?"

I shake my head, "Nothing. No matchs on print, DNA, Clothing is custom, no labels, nothing in his pockets but knives and lint. No name, no other alias...."

Looking over the mayor I see that he is looking at me, the smile still on his face. I'm about to ask him why he is smiling when we still have no leads on the clown but he starts speaking before I can get one word out. "Go home Gordon, go get some rest. You're going to need it. Tomorrow you take the big job, you don't have any say in the matter. Commissionior Gordon!"

His words are shook, never had I expected this. I look around as the room bursts into applouse and the mayor shakes my hand, then Stephens who was standing beside me most of the time. I wasn't quite sure if I was ready for this, this quick promotion. Not all that long ago I had just been a city cop, and now here I was the top cop in Gothem.

People are clapping all around me, reaching out to shake my hand but something catchs my attention. In the jail ceil the joker is clapping, clapping for me. I stare at him for a second as he continues to clap and wonder why he is doing it. Maybe it's just his idea of a joke or maybe it's just one of the things that the joker does that no one understands. I sigh and turn back around to study the faces of my happy officers before I turn around to head back home, back to my family.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am nervous as I climb the steps up to my own house, so nervous that I just stand there unsure of what to say. I mean, what do you really say to your wife and your children when they have all thought that you were dead for the last day and a half. Taking a deep breath I press the doorbell and listen to the sounds of footsteps inside.

When my wife opens the door I step forward ready to try and explain myself. "I'm sorry, I couldn't risk your safe..."

She cuts me off by slapping me across the check, sobbing slightly. I pull her close to me and listen to her sob agaisnt my shirt. "I'm so sorry Barabara," I say, "I'm so very sorry."

For a moment she just hugs me before she looks up into my eyes. "Don't you ever do that again Jim."

I feel sorry for her, sorry that I ever did anything that had hurt her so much. I loved all of them and all I had been thinking was how I could keep them safe. I hadn't had much time to think and so had choosen to fake my death. Now however, I could see the pain in her eyes as she was just starting to recover from the shock. "I won't do it again," I promise her, "Don't worry."

"You think I don't have to worry," she sobbed, "When everyday you do out there and risk your life time and time again. What if you really give up your life sometime."

Stepping inside I pull my wife even closer, trying to decide how in the world I was going to make all this up to her. "Go see the children," she whispered, "Tell them you are alright."

I don't answer her just turn and go up the stairs first into my daughter's room. Barbara Jr. is fast asleep, her favorite stuffed animal in her arms and she looks so peaceful that I just can't wake her so I turn instead into my son's room. Jimmy looks at me as I enter and kneel by his side, running my hand along the top of his head. "Did batman save you daddy?" he asked in a small voice.

A little bit of pride creeps in my voice. "No actually this time I saved him."

My son smiles, proud of me too and I just look at him for a minute, trying to figure out what to say next. However, I don't get the chance because my phone rings. Sighing I pick it up. "Gordon."

"Commissionior this is Detective Stephens, Harvey Dent never made it home."


	5. Interrogation

**_SPOILERS: DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED THE DARK NIGHT._**

**_Gothem's Other Knight_**

**_We all know that Batman is the dark night and Harvey Dent was the white knight. But we are forgotting someone else, another of Gothem's knights._**

**_Author's Note: I'm sorry, this story must look as good as dead because I've gone so long without uploading. Over the last many months, I moved onto different things, mostly my own stories for fictionpress and completely forgot about all my fanfiction. But since I do like this story, I've finally decided to try and finish it. Although I'll have to see how far I actually get and if I still have any readers after leaving it in the dust for so long._**

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing, even if I wish I did._**

* * *

_"Has he said anything yet?"_

I burst through the doors and look at the other men in the room who all shake their heads. _Great. Just great._ I'd finally made it home and then I realized that I still couldn't rest. Gothem never lets anyone rest.

But I don't think on it, I don't even pause for more then an instant before I hurry into the other room, the interrogation room. The joker is sitting there and he looks up as I enter. _This is going to be fun...._

Crossing the room, I sit down in the seat in front of him, fold my hands on the table and look at him for a long moment. He looks back at me. "Evening Commissioner."

"Harvey Dent never made it home." I figure that it's better to just be blunt and to the point then try to do much talking with the Joker. Hopefully, though, I'll be able to get something out of this madman, and learn where Harvey is before it is too late. For I'm sure that he's involved, he just has to be.

The Joker smiles at me. "Of course not."

"What have you done with him?"

"Me?" He laughs then and holds up his hands, which are handcuffed. "I was right here. Who did you leave him with? Your people? Assuming they are still your people and not Maroni's. Does it depress you Commissioner, to know how alone you really are?"

I glance at the camera on the wall for a brief moment. It is true, not all my people can be trusted, it's the way it's always been. The police department is corrupt, and I have to fight to find the few good cops in each unit. Because there are some out there, some like me, who I know can be trusted. Stephens is one of those few trusted ones.

"Does it make you feel responsible for Harvey Dent's current predicament?" The Joker continues.

"Where is he?" I ask, looking at him. I need to get answers and I have to make sure that he gives them to me, whether he wants to or not...

It is then that he asks me a questions that surprises me. "What time is it?"

What do I care what time it is? I just want to know where Harvey is. "What difference does that make?" I ask him.

"Well." The joker smiles and makes me feel slightly uneasy. "Depending on the time he could be one place or _several_."

A chill goes down my back at the way he says several. It's clear that he does know what happened to Gothem's white knight and like I expected, it isn't pretty. One thought is fixed in my mind. I've got to get him out of there, now.

It is then I look past the Joker, into the shadows and I see the figure standing there. He gives me a nod, clearly has seen me looking at him and is looking back at me I presume, although it's hard to tell with the mask. Standing up, I undo the Joker's handcuffs. "If we are going to play games, I'm going to need a cup of coffee."

As I reach the door, he speaks again. "The good cop, bad cop routine."

"Not exactly," I reply as I open the door and leave the room, flipping on the light as I do so. Batman will know what to do with him, I'm sure of that, and I'll watch the whole thing, from the camera.

I move into the room with my other officers to watch the scene unfold. Batman clearly does not waste any time I notice, he and the Joker are already talking and the Joker's makeup is slightly smeared.

_"You wanted me, here I am."_

_"I wanted to see what you'd do, and you didn't disappoint... you let five people die. And then you let Dent take my place. You see, even to a guy like me that's cold."_

_"Where's Dent?"_

_"Those mob fools want you gone so they can get back to the way things were. But I know the truth. You've changed things. Forever. There's no going back."_

_"Then why do you want to kill me?"_

I hear the Joker laugh as Batman says this, as I continue to watch from the other room....

_"Kill you? I don't want to kill you. What would I without you? Go back to ripping off mob dealers? No, you complete me."_

_"You're garbage who kills for money."_

_"Don't talk like one of them, you're not. Even if you'd like to be. To them you're just a freak, like me. They just need you right now. But as soon as they don't, they'll cast you out, like a laper. Their morals... their codes, it's just a bad joke. Dropped at the first sign of trouble. They're only as good as the world allows them to be. You'll see, I'll show you... when the chips are down, these civilized people.... they'll eat each other. You see, I'm not a monster, I'm just ahead of the curve."_

As Batman grabs him and yanks him upright, one of my detectives moves towards the door but I shake my head to stop him. "He's in control."

I have complete faith in Batman, that he'll be able to get the information out of the Joker without really hurting him and so I keep on watching as the scene unfolds on the camera in front of me.

_"Where's Dent?"_

_"You have all these rules and you think they'll save you."_

_"I have one rule."_

_"And that's the one you'll have to break to know the truth."_

_"Which is?"_

_"The only sensible way to live in this world is without rules. Tonight you're going to break your one rule..."_

_"I'm considering it."_

_"There are just a few minutes left so you're going to have to play my little game if you want to save one of them."_

_"Them?"_

_"You know, for a while I thought you really were Dent... the way you threw yourself after her..."_

He drops the Joker then, hard and I turn move for the door. I don't care if he's in control or not, but I have to make sure that he is. After all, he can't go beating up the prisoners, even if the man does deserve it. But when I reach the door and throw myself against it, it doesn't budge. He must have blocked it with something, although I don't know what. I stand there by the door, not sure what to do but I can still here what's happening from the camera in the other room.

_"Look at you go, does Harvey know about you and his..."_

_"WHERE ARE THEY!?"_

_"Killing is making a choice."_

_"WHERE ARE THEY!?"_

_"You choose one life over another. Your friend, the district attornay, or his blushing bride to-be.... You have nothing, nothing to threaten me with. Nothing to do with all your strength. But don't worry, I'm going to tell you where they are, both of them. And that's the point, you'll have to choose. He's at 250 52nd Boulevard. And she's on Avenue X at Cicero."_

The door flings open a minute later, almost hitting me in the face as Batman comes running out, right by me. "Which one are you-?" I shout after him, wondering if he'll even hear me in his rush.

"RACHEL!"

He's already on his bike, and kicking it into action, speeding off down the street. I glance back once, in the direction of the Joker in the room who is bleeding slightly, his makeup smeared, before following Batman onto the street and jumping into my police car. It's going to be another long night.


End file.
